Looking back at my 2017 Predictions

Like every other year, at the beginning of 2017 I made some predictions about the Philippines for the coming year. Let’s go back and take a look and see how I did.

Overall, I think I did well. Were going to have to go one by one, though, to see how things worked out, just like we always do.

In the days to come, I will be coming out with my predictions for 2018 as well. To be honest, here it is, January 2 as I write this, and I have yet to even think about that. Usually, I start thinking about this around November, so this year, I guess I am running behind.

Let’s get started and go through the predictions one by one.

Prediction 1 – Togetherness

I predicted that president Trump and Pres. Duterte would do something together that was very unpredicted and unexpected. Many may not realize this, but I think I hit this one on the head.

At the ASEAN conference earlier this year, Pres. Duterte stood up, went to the microphone and started singing. After the song he said that he saying uninvited, but upon the orders of the president of the United States. Check the video below.

I don’t think that any of us would have expected this, and if Trump requested, or ordered Duterte to seeing, this was certainly done together.

Prediction 2 – Where are the celebrities?

When Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, a lot of American celebrities had said that they would be leaving the country. I predicted that no American celebrities would be moving to the Philippines, and that few would move anywhere else outside of the United States.

Another prediction nailed. No American celebrities that I am aware of have moved to the Philippines, and I really am not aware of any major celebrities that of moved anywhere outside the United States based on the election of president Trump.

Prediction 3 – Leila de Lima

Another correct prediction. Senator Leila de Lima is currently in jail. She is unable to serve in the Senate because she is in prison. On February 24, 2017, she surrendered on drug charges, and is still awaiting her case to be tried. She has tried to get out of prison, but the Philippine Supreme Court has ruled against her, and she remains in jail at this time.

Prediction 4 – Fake News

Things that happen in the United States quickly spread to the Philippines. Because of this, the rash of allegations of fake news was something that I also knew end up here in the Philippines. Was I correct?

Prediction 5 – Presidential Stability

For prediction number five, I predicted that Pres. Duterte would not be removed from office by any means. There had been so many rumors of coup d’état, impeachment, or whatever means necessary to get them out of office. I knew that he would remain president though, and he would continue to be popular among the people. Well, Pres. Duterte is still the popular president of the Philippines. Another prediction called correctly. I

Prediction 6 – Philippines will be a player!

I predicted that the Philippines would be a player in diplomatic situations between the United States and China. There has been some of this to a point, but I would have to say that I did not get this prediction correct, because it is not been significant to date. I still feel that this could happen in the future though.

Prediction 7 – Natural Disaster

I predicted that there would be a natural disaster in the Philippines that would claim lives, and this did happen, in several cases. The most recent was right here in Mindanao, during the Christmas holidays. Due to a tropical storm, there was massive flooding, mudslides, and other effects that took many lives. So, another prediction nailed.

Prediction 8 – Immigration Policies

A year and a half ago or so, many foreigners were scared that we were all going to be kicked out of the Philippines, because of Duterte’s immigration policies. They thought, particularly Americans, that we would no longer be welcome here. Well, I still live here, and many other Americans do as well. As predicted, there have been no changes in immigration policies or laws. Everything is status quo. Prediction number eight, check.

Prediction 9 – Boxing

As predicted, Manny Pacquiao did indeed fight in 2017. He fought in Brisbane Australia. As further predicted, the boxing match did not really draw a lot of interest.

Prediction 10 – Peso Exchange

Another prediction hit squarely on the head. I predicted that the peso exchange rate would end up between 49 and 51 to the dollar. I checked the exchange rate at about 10 PM on New Year’s Eve, and it was 50.2 for US$1. The peso was very stable throughout the year, spending most of the year between 50.0 and 50.8. Now that Christmas is finished, I expect that we’ll see the peso in the high 50.x range, perhaps even over 51. But not wildly higher.

9 Predictions correct out of 10. Hard to argue with that!

Okay, that is a wrap up of my predictions for 2017. I have decided that 2017 will be my final year of predictions. I have been doing it so many years… time for something different! 🙂

Bob Martin is the Publisher & Editor in Chief of the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine. Bob is an Internet Entrepreneur who is based in Davao. Bob is an American who has lived permanently in Mindanao since May 2000. Here in Mindanao, Bob has resided in General Santos City, and now in Davao City. Bob is the owner of this website and many others.

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Immigration Policies: If anything they are much better. Last time I paid my dues (Sept2017) it was absolutely cheap. It used to be about P2500 for 2 months unless you had to pay for the iCard. I will be going again soon and paying for an iCard. Will see what it is like then. I remember paying last time and the guy asked for my iCard. I told him that he had it and he told me that my dues would be around P4000. I thought to myself this couldn’t be right. But it was. I paid P4530 for 6 months! Policies apparently are getting lean which is good.

The boxing match did not really draw a lot of attention? Thousands of Filipinos travelled from the Philippines and all over the world to Australia for the fight. Flights into Brisbane were jam packed for several days before. What might have been predictable was that despite his losing the match, judged by five judges and re-assessed several times with the same result, a lot of those Filipinos refused to accept the result, saying that the judges were biased. Lots of Bars in Cebu at least, live streamed the match, and I understand there was a huge turnout, though they went home disappointed of course.